Tài liệu OXFORD PRACTICE GRAMMAR 46 docx

Vicky: It might be a bomb.. Sarah may/might be working late tonight.. CAN’T We use can't when we realize that something is impossible.. Life can't be easy when you have to spend it in

OXFORD PRACTICE GRAMMAR

46 POSSIBILITY AND CERTAINTY: MAY, MIGHT, COULD,

MUST, ETC

A May, might and could

Rachel: Whose bag is that?

Daniel: / don't know It may belong to Maria's friend

Vicky: It might be a bomb It could explode at any moment

We use may or might to say that something is possible or that it is quite

likely

We can use them for the present or the future

It may/might be a bomb (= Perhaps it is a bomb.)

/ may/might go to the disco tomorrow (= Perhaps I will go to the disco.)

We can use could to say that something is possible

The story could be true, I suppose (= Possibly it is true.)

You could win a million pounds! (= Possibly you will win a million pounds.)

Sometimes could means only a small possibility It is possible (but not

likely) that

you will win a million pounds

In some situations we can use may, might or could

It may/might/could rain later

After may, might or could we can use a continuous form (be + an

ing-form) That man

may/might be watching us (= Perhaps he is watching us.) Sarah may/might

be working late

tonight (= Perhaps she will be working late.) I'm not sure where Matthew is

He could be playing

squash (= Possibly he is playing squash.)

B May, might and could in the negative

The negative forms are may not, might not/mightn't, and could

not/couldn't

MAY NOT AND MIGHT NOT

Something negative is possible Daniel may

not get the job Tom might not be in I

mightn't finish the marathon tomorrow

(It is possible that I will not finish it.)

COULDN'T

Something is impossible

Vicky is afraid of heights She couldn't climb

onto the roof

I'm completely unfit I couldn't run a marathon

(It is impossible for me to run it.)

C Must and can't

MUST

We use must when we realize that something is

certainly true

She isn't answering the phone She must be out I had my keys a moment ago They must be here

somewhere

Andrew isn't here He must be working in the

library

CAN’T

We use can't when we realize that something is

impossible

We haven't walked far You can't be tired yet Life can't be easy when you have to spend it in a

wheelchair

Nick can't be touring Scotland I saw him hat

this morning

53 Might/could/must have been page 379 Mustn't in American English t> 51A Could in suggestions

46 EXERCISES

1 Might be and might be doing (A)

Vicky and Rachel are at college They're looking for their friend Natasha Complete the conversation

Use may or might and the verb in brackets Sometimes you need to use the

continuous

Vicky: I can't find Natasha Have you seen her?

Rachel: (►) She might be (she / be) in the music room (►) She may be practising (she / practise)

Vicky: No, she isn't there I thought

(1)……… (she / be) with you

Rachel: It's a nice day

(2)………(she / be) on the lawn

(3) ……… (she / sit) out there reading the paper

Or (4) ………(she / have) a coffee

(5) ……… (you / find) her in the canteen

Emma: No, I've looked there

Rachel: Well, here comes Jessica (6) ……… (she / know)

2 May and might (A-B)

Add a sentence with may or might (both are correct)

? I'm not sure if it's going to rain It might rain

? I don't know if we'll see an elephant We may see one

1 I can't say whether Daniel will win

…

2 I haven't decided if I'm having a holiday

………

3 I don't know if we'll get an invitation

………

4 I've no idea whether Sarah will be

late

3 I'm not sure if my friends are visiting

me …………

3 Mightn't and couldn't (B)

Put in mightn't or couldn't

? I've got one or two things to do, so I mightn't have time to come out

tonight

? David couldn't work as a taxi driver He can't drive

1 We're going to need lots of glasses We have enough, you know

2 Mark ………be in the office tomorrow He thinks he's getting a cold

3 We ……… possibly have a dog, living in a small flat like this

■1 How can you work with all this noise? I

……… work in such conditions

5 Don't ring tomorrow because I be in I'm not sure what I'm doing

4 Must, can't and might (A, C)

A reporter is interviewing Mrs Miles for a TV news programme

Complete the conversation Put in must, can't or might

Mrs Miles: My name's Nora Miles, and I'm going to do a parachute jump Reporter: Mrs Miles, you're seventy-three, and you're going to jump out of

an aeroplane

You (►) must be mad You (1) be serious

Mrs Miles: It really (2)……… be wonderful to look down from the sky

I've always wanted to try it

Reporter: But anything could happen You (3) be injured or even killed

I wouldn't take the risk

Mrs Miles: Well, young man, your life (4) ……… be much fun if you never take risks

You ought to try it You never know - you (5)

………enjoy it

Reporter: Enjoy it? You (6) be joking